Author: Devin James

Bill Bringing Relief to Success Village Residents Heads to House & Senate for Consideration

Posted on by Devin James

Bill Bringing Relief to Success Village Residents Heads to House & Senate for Consideration

A bill designed to provide financial relief to residents of Success Village, a common interest community spanning Bridgeport and Stratford, has passed out of the Planning & Development Committee and will now head to the House and Senate for passage.

House Bill 5500, “An Act Concerning a Waiver of Interest on Certain Delinquent Municipal Property Taxes’, will address the financial fallout caused by the mismanagement of former community management, who failed to properly manage community funds, leaving residents with significant back property taxes and accruing interest despite having paid their community fees in full and on time.

“On January 6, I hosted a town hall at Success Village to connect residents with community resources and hear directly about the challenges they were facing,” said State Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport). “During that meeting, many residents spoke about the hardship caused by mismanagement, from lack of heat and hot water to financial burdens they should never have had to carry. I heard you loud and clear. Since that conversation, I have been working with the Bridgeport and Stratford legislative delegations and other key partners to push for meaningful relief and long-term stability for the residents of Success Village. The residents of Success Village have done nothing wrong. They paid what was asked of them and deserved responsible leadership in return. I stand in solidarity with this community and will continue fighting to ensure these wrongs are made right.”

“House Bill 5500 is about doing right by the residents of Success Village,” said State Representative Christopher Rosario (D-Bridgeport). “These families paid their common charges in good faith and should not be punished for financial mismanagement they had no control over. I’ve been working alongside Councilwoman Maria Pereira and Councilwoman Keyla Medina to make sure the residents receive the relief they deserve, and that this community has the stability it needs moving forward.”

“The residents of Success Village have really been put through the wringer over the last few years, including problems with old equipment, leading to issues with heat and hot water,” said State Representative Joseph Gresko (D-Stratford). “But they’re working hard to right the ship. This bill would allow the funds that have been paid in interest and penalties to be returned to the receivership from the municipalities to continue paying down debt. The residents deserve a resolution. This is the light at the end of the tunnel that we want to see keep going.”

Residents of Success Village, many of whom went weeks without heat and hot water as a direct consequence of the unpaid taxes, have been burdened with a financial crisis that was not of their making. HB 5500 would forgive the interest on those back property taxes and return any payments residents have already made toward that interest, providing critical relief to a community that did everything right.

The committee heard substantial public testimony in support of the bill ahead of its advancement.

SENATE DEMOCRATS’ STRONG COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION INVESTMENT MOVES FORWARD

Posted on by Devin James

SENATE DEMOCRATS’ STRONG COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION INVESTMENT MOVES FORWARD

Today, the Education Committee advanced key legislation from Connecticut Senate Democrats seeking to make a strong and transformative increase in the state’s public education systems.

Senate Bill 7, “An Act Concerning Educational Equity,” passed out of the Education Committee March 16.

“We know our state needs to better keep pace with the costs of education, and our schools and children lose out on opportunities when that isn’t happening,” said State Senator Doug McCrory, Senate Chair of the Education Committee. “It leads to fewer programs, kids struggling, teachers spending their own funds to help out in the classroom. Raising the foundation amount in the grant will change that. It will deliver on our promises and make sure schools, students and communities across Connecticut get the care, attention and funds they deserve.”

“This situation doesn’t call for a short-term fix. Senate Democrats are focused on a full overhaul of our education funding systems that allow every school to succeed – with secondary impacts on local taxes, local educational resources and local community support,” said Senate President Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk). “This legislation marks Connecticut’s determination to make sure every student has the best opportunities to succeed.”

The bill proposes raising the Education Cost Sharing formula’s foundation grant from its current level of $11,525 per pupil. In the next four fiscal years it would continue to increase, growing to $12,500 in fiscal year 2027, $13,500 in fiscal year 2028, $14,500 in fiscal year 2029 and $15,500 in fiscal year 2030.

Following 2030, the foundation grant would be indexed to economic indicators to ensure funding meets financial pressures in future years.

Under this framework, the proposal would increase state education funding by $58 million in fiscal year 2027, $233 million in fiscal year 2028, $422 million in fiscal year 2029 and $618 million in fiscal year 2030.

Senate Bill 7 received nearly 700 pieces of testimony in support during the public hearing process, including from dozens of school superintendents, principals and teachers.

Hartford Public Schools teacher Ron Acosta noted in public testimony that the current foundation of $11,525 per student has remained unchanged for 13 years and is highly outdated, leaving schools unable to meet students’ needs. “The classrooms are overcrowded and students are underserviced, if serviced at all,” Acosta said.

Paul Brenton, Superintendent of Plainfield Public Schools, said the planned increase in SB7 is a necessary and welcome step toward restoring balance and strengthening the state’s partnership with local school districts. This is especially important in some districts that are economically strained, Brenton added, as Plainfield’s student poverty rate recently climbed significantly and is facing stagnant local growth, meaning such increases are specifically important in communities that otherwise could risk falling behind.

Maureen Brummet, Superintendent of Newington Public Schools, noted the stagnancy of the ECS foundation fails to “reflect the real-world expenses of providing a quality education,” forcing towns to shoulder additional costs in providing students with education – in comparison, the predictability and adjustments offered by SB7 is the “only path” to fostering stability, predictability and long-term fiscal planning capacity.

With the bill’s passage today, it next heads to the Senate floor for further deliberation.

SEN. KUSHNER JOINS 32BJ SEIU & UNITED HERE TO SUPPORT PROPOSED WORKER RETENTION LAW

Posted on by Devin James

SEN. KUSHNER JOINS 32BJ SEIU & UNITED HERE TO SUPPORT PROPOSED WORKER RETENTION LAW

HARTFORD – State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), 32BJ SEIU and United Here! today threw their support behind a proposed bill that would protect workers’ jobs for 90 days after a change in contractors at a worksite and require business owners to provide sufficient notice in advance of such job changes.

Under current Connecticut law, workers employed by building-service contractors have no legal right to keep their jobs if the contractor changes or if the building is sold and the new employer decides to replace the entire workforce.

A bill that received its public hearing today before the Labor & Public Employees Committee – Senate Bill 358, “AN ACT CONCERNING THE RETENTION OF SERVICE CONTRACT WORKERS” – seeks to rectify this by requiring incoming building service contractors to retain the existing workforce for 90 days, and to give employees a 15-day notice of a switch in their employer, ensuring they have sufficient time to prepare for a life-changing job loss.

Such worker retention laws historically protect low-wage, subcontracted jobs, including janitors, security guards, healthcare facility housekeepers, airport workers, and food preparation workers in education and healthcare facilities.

“This is a really important piece of legislation, and I think sometimes we lose track of the human beings that are impacted, and how much of a difference we’ll make in their lives if we pass this legislation into law,” said Sen. Kushner, who fought in Danbury last summer when 14 longtime employees of a local company were suddenly let go when they lost their building cleaning contract to another company. “They shouldn’t have had to go through that. And the problem for our community is, we can’t have people who have worked at a company for 20 years all of a sudden have no income, have no health benefits, and no job. retentionI’m really excited about this  legislation, and I think it can make a difference, not just for the workers involved, but for our communities that suffer losses along with our neighbors.”

“Many of the grievances that come our way are from workers who’ve been displaced because a building has replaced a responsible contractor with an irresponsible one. With this law, we’re saying loud and clear: no more.” said Rochelle Palache, Vice President and Connecticut District Leader, 32BJ SEIU. “This common-sense law will ensure accountability and transparency and protect workers from abrupt and unjust losses in their pay, insurance, or other benefits.”

The Labor and Public Employees Committee has until March 24 to pass bills; the General Assembly adjourns for the year on May 4.

IN THE FACE OF TRUMP HEALTHCARE CUTS, SEN. CABRERA APPLAUDS RECORD ENROLLMENT IN CT’S HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE

Posted on by Devin James

IN THE FACE OF TRUMP HEALTHCARE CUTS, SEN. CABRERA APPLAUDS RECORD ENROLLMENT IN CT’S HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE

HARTFORD – State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden), who is Senate Chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, today applauded the record enrollment in Connecticut’s health insurance marketplace – Access Health CT – even as the Trump administration ends federal health care subsidies for millions of Americans.

Access Health CT announced Thursday a record 157,246 people enrolled in a Qualified Health Plan during the 2026 Open Enrollment Period, compared to 151,151 at the end of the Open Enrollment Period in 2025. This year’s enrollment broke last year’s record by 4%.

Included in that number are 51,629 residents enrolled in the Covered CT Program; Covered CT provides no-cost coverage for eligible residents, and the State of Connecticut pays the consumer portion of premiums and cost-sharing.

“The Trump administration may be heartless, but Connecticut has a heart big enough for everyone,” Sen. Cabrera said. ” We’re covering a year’s worth of Access Health CT premium co-pays for those Connecticut residents who lost their federal tax credit due to Trump and the Republican budget, but who still desperately need health care. I’m pleased that a record number of Connecticut residents have put their faith in state government because the federal government under Donald Trump doesn’t give a damn.”

For the full Access Health CT press release, please visit: https://agency.accesshealthct.com/access-health-ct-enrolls-record-number-of-connecticut-residents-in-health-insurance-for-2026

SEN. KUSHNER PLEDGES TO RAISE NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT BILL THIS SESSION

Posted on by Devin James

SEN. KUSHNER PLEDGES TO RAISE NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT BILL THIS SESSION

HARTFORD – Speaking today at a press conference on protecting the survivors of sexual abuse in the workplace and in prison, state Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) pledged to raise a bill this session in the Labor and Public Employees Committee that would limit the use of non-disclosure agreements in Connecticut.

The bill will receive its public hearing on March 3.

Sen. Kushner vowed to raise the bill at a press conference today organized by the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, which is advocating this session to end nondisclosure agreements and to codify the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act into state law. The event featured a survivor of prison sexual abuse and a woman who is suing World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and others for sexual abuse, and who was later forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

“If the legislature fails to pass this bill this year, then we’re simply perpetuating the sexual abuse of women in the workplace. It’s that simple,” Sen. Kushner said. “When victims are silenced with NDAs, the perpetrator is never brought to justice, and they just continue their abuse. There’s no question that this is a critical piece of legislation this year, and that this is the year we need to get it done.”

Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) between a company and an employee typically restrict employees from sharing business trade secrets and confidential information, but they can also be used to prevent employees from reporting fraud, insider trading, or sexual abuse. In such instances, the perpetrators of these crimes are never reported or prosecuted and may simply be shuffled off to another company to abuse more people.

SEN. CABRERA, KATHERINE HINDS WELCOME BRIDGE BRIGADE FREEDOM OF SPEECH RESOLUTION WITH CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE

Posted on by Devin James

SEN. CABRERA, KATHERINE HINDS WELCOME BRIDGE BRIGADE FREEDOM OF SPEECH RESOLUTION WITH CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE

HAMDEN – State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) and his Connecticut Visibility Brigade protest leader and constituent Katherine Hinds today welcomed a new agreement between the Connecticut ACLU and the Connecticut State Police that prohibits state police from arresting citizens like Hinds who are exercising their free speech rights by protesting the Trump regime on highway overpasses.

It was the Connecticut State Police arrest of Hinds last summer on criminal trespass and breach of peace charges – charges that were later dismissed in court – that led to the new ACLU/state police agreement.

“Catherine is a friend, a constituent, and she is a role model for what it means to be a patriotic American in the very difficult times that we are all facing under Donald Trump and his awful, awful administration and all of the harm he’s causing our country,” Sen. Cabrera said. “If it weren’t for Katherine’s courage and fortitude, police may have felt free to trample the first amendment rights of other bridge protestors all across Connecticut — Lord knows we’ve seen people in power trample civil rights in other states. But thanks to Katherine, here in Connecticut, we have secured some basic protections for freedom of speech and assembly.”

“I’m thrilled, I’m relieved, and I’m so grateful to the ACLU and to all of the state legislators who assisted on this – and Jorge is right at the top of the list. They all stood up for the first amendment, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” Hinds said. “This agreement is a win-win. It applies to everyone in the state.”

Hinds founded the Connecticut Visibility Brigade just over a year ago, on Valentine’s Day 2025. It was the first of about 12 such ‘bridge brigades” whose members protest the Trump regime with signs and banners on highway overpasses around the state. Hinds says her group, which operates mostly on Interstate 95 in the New Haven area, sees about 7,000 to 10,000 cars per hour during their protests. There are now about 400 such bridge protest groups in 48 states, Hinds says.

Hinds was arrested last July by Connecticut State Police and charged with criminal trespass and breach of peace for holding signs and banners while standing on the sidewalk of an I-95 overpass. According to published reports, the bridge signs included phrases such as “Deport Musk,” “Go Grads, Save Democracy” and “Resistance Is Not Futile.”

A month later, the same Connecticut State Trooper who arrested Hinds in July pounded on the door of her home at 6 a.m. and presented her with a warrant for her arrest on similar charges based on his review of her Facebook account. All the state police charges against Hinds were dismissed by a New Haven judge in late October.

But the Connecticut ACLU still needed plaintiffs to make a case that the civil rights of Connecticut residents are being violated. Two other members of the Connecticut Visibility Brigade complained that they feared protesting out of concern that they would be arrested; those fears led to last week’s agreement between the ACLU and state police.

The agreement, which must become state police policy by February 22, stipulates that:

  • State Troopers shall not use Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-107 (First-Degree Criminal Trespass), 53a108 (Second-Degree Criminal Trespass), 53a-109 (Third-Degree Criminal Trespass), 53a-181 (Second-Degree Breach of the Peace), 53a-182a (Obstructing Free Passage), 53a-182 (Disorderly Conduct), 13a-123 (Restriction of Outdoor Advertising Signs), or 13a-124 (Unauthorized Signs) to detain, identify, threaten, fine, disperse, or arrest individuals for peacefully assembling or for holding up signs conveying non-commercial, political messages when those individuals are on a sidewalk of an overpass that is not a limited-access highway.
  • In addition, State Troopers shall not detain, identify, threaten, fine, disperse, or arrest individuals for peacefully assembling or for holding up signs conveying non-commercial, political messages when those individuals are on a sidewalk of an overpass that is not a limited-access highway based on the pace, conduct, or reaction of traffic on the highway below.
  • The directive does not prevent State Troopers from arresting, fining, or dispersing any individual who incites imminent unlawful action, engages in fighting words, affixes a sign to an overpass fence, drops an item from an overpass onto a highway below, or who stands in a roadway.

SEN. CABRERA STATEMENT ON OFFICE OF CHILD ADVOCATE RECOMMENDAITONS FOR SUMMER CAMP SAFETY

Posted on by Devin James

SEN. CABRERA STATEMENT ON OFFICE OF CHILD ADVOCATE RECOMMENDAITONS FOR SUMMER CAMP SAFETY

HARTFORD – Nearly a year after responding to sexual assault charges at a Bethany, CT summer camp and introducing bill language that would have required municipal summer camps to be licensed by the state and have employees undergo criminal back checks, State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) today issued the following statement regarding an Office of Child Advocate report that recommends various changes to Connecticut’s municipal summer camp operations.

The OCA report can be found at: Bethany Summer Camp report.

“The OCA recommendation that all summer camp employees — including those working for town summer camps – be mandated child neglect reporters and receive mandated reporter training, that’s just basic common sense. And the OCA recommendation that all employees receive ‘comprehensive’ background checks, I assume that means criminal background checks. That’s something we asked for in last year’s bill, which didn’t pass.

“Overall, the OCA report addresses some of the concerns in our bill last year. They get to the essence of what we were trying to do, and they really highlight the huge gap between what the State of Connecticut expects from most private camps, and what they expect from town- run camps.

“I know the Children’s Committee has introduced a bill this session to look at the issue of summer camps, and I’ll work to ensure that these OCA recommendations are included in the final bill. It’s the least we can do for our kids.”

Sen. Osten States Her Case to the New Budget Secretary for Greater State Investment in Avery Point UConn Campus

Posted on by Devin James

Sen. Osten States Her Case to the New Budget Secretary for Greater State Investment in Avery Point UConn Campus

HARTFORD – State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) told Connecticut’s new budget secretary Josh Wojcik today that the lack of state investment in UConn’s Avery Point campus in Groton is unacceptable and that she will introduce legislation this session seeking to build new housing and make other upgrades there.

Sen. Osten’s remarks came during a routine, start-of-session appearance by Office of Policy and Management Secretary Wojcik, who was briefing the Appropriations Committee on Governor Ned Lamont’s proposed budget adjustments for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, which begins on July 1.

Sen. Osten, who is Senate Chair of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, noted today that while Gov. Lamont has made “significant” new investments in housing at UConn’s Hartford Stamford, and Waterbury campuses, there have been no similar, significant investment in housing the Avery Point Campus.

“Avery Point is experiencing a $13 million deficit year, over year, over year, because we have made a policy decision to not put housing in Avery Point and not put additional majors there,” Sen. Osten said. “It is the one area of the state where we have a large defense industry that will be seeing 7,000 jobs per year growth in the next three years. Not 7,000 jobs over three years, but 7,000 new jobs each year. I find it a little bit distressing that UConn  made a decision in October and didn’t bother to tell state legislators for the region until just last week that they’ve decided that we’re just going to have a $13 million deficit, and you guys can eat it, and don’t worry, we won’t close you down. But I don’t buy it. I think it’s a bunch of crap. And I will not sit silent. I will be putting in a bill to put housing there. Everybody talks about housing, but it’s only convenient to put money into housing in certain areas of the state. That’s not fair. It’s taking away a significant part of higher education in Eastern Connecticut. And I just want to put that on the record.”

On January 29, UConn officials presented the Southeastern Connecticut legislative delegation with their report on the “Strategic Assessment of UConn’s Regional Campuses,” which concluded that declining high school graduation rates in the region, declining enrollment at Avery Point, reduced state budget support for UConn, and a decline in federal research awards means that UConn needs to “adjust our strategies and allocate or limited resources to the highest institutional priorities” and concluded that on-campus housing at Avery Point “is not currently feasible.”

Sen. Osten has been pushing for months for housing parity between UConn’s four satellite campuses, as well as an expansion of majors offered at Avery Point, noting that UConn will not grow enrollment if they cannot offer prospective students a housing and educational experience comparable to those in Hartford, Waterbury, and Stamford.

SENATOR SLAP VOTES TO PROTECT CONNECTICUT FROM TRUMP CUTS WITH RESERVE FUND

Posted on by Devin James

SENATOR SLAP VOTES TO PROTECT CONNECTICUT FROM TRUMP CUTS WITH RESERVE FUND

HARTFORD – Today, State Senator Derek Slap voted to establish a Federal Cuts Response Fund, continuing an effort started in late 2025 to ensure Connecticut is well-positioned to respond to rapid changes to funding and programs made by the federal government.

Today’s vote carries over $313 million into the new reserve. It follows $186.6 million in investments in December 2025 and January 2026 from a $500 million pool established in November 2025 and makes sure the remaining funds are available to respond to funding cuts from the federal government.

“Connecticut and our residents have been on the receiving end of billions of dollars of federal funding cuts, despite paying the federal government over $3 billion more in taxes than we receive back,” said Sen. Slap. “Today’s vote ensures that we are able to quickly respond to fund critical programs and organizations like Planned Parenthood, mitigate skyrocketing premiums on Access Health CT, and ensure that Connecticut residents know that we will do everything in our power to insulate them from the impacts of this administration’s recklessness.”

Since the start of the second Trump presidency, Connecticut has been among several blue states that have seen billions of dollars in cuts to previously approved funding for programs ranging from education, to healthcare, clean energy, public health, mental health supports and more. Some programs have been reinstated, while others have not, creating chaos and uncertainty for providers and those who use these programs. The Republican Federal Budget passed in July of last year cut funding to Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, home heating assistance and more.

The fund has already been used to support investments in response to federal changes and funding cuts including:

  • $115 million to replace expiring federal health care subsidies for Connecticut residents with plans through Access Health CT, its Affordable Care Act exchange, which will take effect in March
  • $24.6 million to support food banks and food pantries’ capacities to serve the public after eligibility changes to SNAP ended benefits for thousands of residents
  • $11.4 million to support system upgrades at the Department of Social Services to successfully implement eligibility changes and constituent support
  • $8.5 million to replace lost federal reimbursement for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England and $1.9 million to replace funding for its frozen Title X family planning and preventive health services grant
  • $6.88 million to support expiring Continuum of Care grants for homelessness prevention and housing vouchers formerly funded by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • $4.7 million to increase call volume at 211, Community Action Agencies to help the public better understand and meet new SNAP eligibility requirements
  • $4.513 million to replace Community School grants for New Haven, Waterbury and Hartford public schools providing health care and childcare services to children and families
  • $2 million to expand community health workers’ ability to help the public meet changes to SNAP and Medicaid eligibility
  • $830,000 to replace funding for mental health counselors to schools in the Northwest region of Connecticut

*Source: USAFacts.org

Senator McCrory Issues Statement on DECD Audit of the Blue Hills Civic Association

Posted on by Devin James

Senator McCrory Issues Statement on DECD Audit of the Blue Hills Civic Association

Sen. Doug McCrory, D-Hartford, made the following statement Thursday in response to the Department of Economic and Community Development’s Wednesday release of an audit of the Blue Hills Civic Association (BHCA).

“The Department of Economic and Community Development’s audit of the Blue Hills Civic Association and subsequent reporting by members of the media has raised questions related to state oversight of public funds provided to community nonprofits. Although I engaged in no wrongdoing, I was mentioned in the audit because I was involved in advocating at the Legislature for resources for organizations within my district, including BHСА, and some of the organizations that received funds were criticized in the audit. Having reviewed the audit, I want to share my perspective on some of its findings.

“First, the DECD audit makes clear that stronger oversight is needed to ensure that public funds are managed responsibly and effectively. I agree with this goal and will be supportive of reasonable measures to achieve it.

“At the same time, I also feel strongly that we need to recognize that nonprofit organizations are essential partners in our communities, delivering youth programs, job training, housing assistance, and other critical services that families in my district and across Connecticut rely on every day.

“Therefore, while Connecticut should seek to strengthen oversight for public funds, it must do so carefully and fairly, without creating unnecessary red tape that blocks resources from reaching residents that need them the most.”